MS COLL 2010.12
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Collection Summary | |
| Creator: | Rhodes, Rosa Ronquillo |
| Creator: | Williams, Berta Rhodes |
| Collection Name: | Rosa Ronquillo Rhodes Collection |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1911-2009 |
| Physical Description: | .25 Linear feet |
| Quantity: | 1 box (.25 linear feet) |
| Abstract: | Rosa Ronquillo Rhodes (1894-1982) was the postmistress on a ranch in Redington, Arizona (Pima County) from 1922-1936. Of Mexican descent, she was the first child in her family to become literate, and held a position that was central to the ranching community in which she lived. This collection of photographs, postcards, postal documents, and an oral history by her daughter portrays her life as a postmistress, as well as offers a glimpse into ranch life in rural Arizona during that period. |
| Collection Number: | MS COLL 2010.12 |
| Language: | Material in English |
| Repository: |
Postal History Foundation, Peggy J. Slusser Memorial Philatelic Library 920 North First Avenue Tucson, AZ 85719 520-623-6652 library@phftucson.org |
Rosa Ronquillo Rhodes (1894-1982) was the postmistress on a ranch in Redington, Arizona (Pima County) from 1922 to 1936. Of Mexican descent, she was the first child in her family to become literate, and held a position that was central to the ranching community in which she lived. The youngest of twelve children, Rosa began to ask her father if she could go to school at the age of six. None of her siblings had attended school and her request was denied. Her father believed that women were supposed to marry and raise a family, and there were always plenty of chores on the ranch to keep her busy. One of her main tasks as a child was to carry water from the river and to boil drinking water to ensure safety.
At the age of twenty, still eager for a formal education, Rosa began volunteering at the local school doing odd jobs, such as cleaning desks and chalkboards for the teacher, Esther Heilert, who taught her to read. Rosa eventually moved to a school on the San Xabier Indian reservation where she lived with a teacher named Mrs. Herndon while completing her studies. Mrs. Herndon was a highly influential person in Rosa's education, and is responsible for teaching her arithmetic. Rosa's stay at San Xavier was cut short by her mother's illness, which necessitated her return to Redington.
In Redington, Rosa befriended Postmaster Norman J. Roberts and his wife, and upon his retirement in 1922, he recommended Rosa to fill the position. The post office served as a sort of community center in those days, as there were no stores in the town. Because she was bilingual as well as literate, she regularly assisted people to fill out forms and order items from catalogs. In 1930 Rosa Ronquillo married William Rhodes, who worked at the local Carlink Ranch. They had both been previously married (Rosa had been married to a man named 'Moreno'), and they had four children: Fidel, Berta, Ruben and Frank.
This collection covers a period between 1911 and 2009 and contains copies of photos and correspondence, an oral history with Berta Williams (Rosa's daughter) and original postal documents and correspondence.
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Postal History Foundation, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Arizona Postal Documents Collection
Arizona Memory Project: Rosa Ronquillo Rhodes: The Life of the Redington Ranch Postmistress.
Many of the photographs, documents and letters in the collection were shared by Rosa's daughter, Berta Williams. She retains the originals, and the Postal History Foundation has copies of these.
Rosa Ronquillo Rhodes Collection. Postal History Foundation. Tucson, Arizona.
Processed in April of 2010
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Administrative, release forms, background information 2009 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Transcripts of Oral History with Berta Williams (Rosa's daughter) 2009 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Copies of photographs 1911-1936 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Redington postal documents and correspondence 1926-1936 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 CDs and 2 audio cassettes of Oral history with Berta Williams 2009 | ||||||||||